Turaki bench warrant appeal filed as PDP faction chairman challenges court order and seeks immediate reversal in Abuja case

A factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has filed an appeal challenging a bench warrant issued against him by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday.

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The warrant was issued after Turaki failed to appear in court over allegations of providing false information to the police in a petition he submitted as a private citizen in 2022.

In a statement released through his Principal Private Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, Turaki described the order as unjust and confirmed that his legal team had taken swift steps to overturn it.

According to the statement, the absence was due to a sudden hospital visit, while his lawyers had already filed an application seeking to quash the charge, which typically does not require a defendant’s physical presence in court.

“With the issuance of the bench warrant, his lawyers have immediately filed an appeal and an application for a stay of execution against the said order,” the statement said.

Turaki further clarified that the case is not connected to the Peoples Democratic Party, distancing the development from ongoing internal party matters.

However, the statement suggested that external political influence could not be entirely ruled out.

The development adds a dramatic twist to the legal proceedings, though no further details have been provided by the court regarding the next hearing date.

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Turaki’s legal team has expressed confidence that the appeal will secure a favourable outcome.